Amnesty: Police undermined media freedom
Published: Jan 29, 2008 6:28 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:33 PM
Amnesty International has condemned the arrest and subsequent charging of a Malaysiakini journalist as an act to undermine media freedom.
The human rights NGO viewed the arrest of a
Malaysiakini
journalist as a serious failure to respect and recognize the professional function of a journalist in his or her cause of duty.
Amnesty International has condemned the arrest and subsequent charging of a Malaysiakini journalist as an act to undermine media freedom.
The human rights NGO viewed his arrest during the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) rally last Saturday as a serious failure to respect and recognize the professional function of a journalist in his or her cause of duty.
Malaysiakini journalist Syed Jaymal Zahiid who was reporting at the anti-toll hike protest at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) was arrested for obstructing a police officer from performing his duties.
“We view that the charge against (Syed Jaymal) as another act of intimidation to undermine media freedom and the rights and freedoms of journalists to report without intimidation and threats of arbitrary arrest, detention and selective prosecution,” said AI campaigns coordinator K Shan in a statement today.
Also arrested were dozens of other protesters.
Despite the release of several Protes leaders including PKR information chief Tian Chua and PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli - after the police’ remand applications against them were denied by the magistrate, the journalist was charged with 35 others yesterday.
All of them claimed trial and have been released on RM1,000 bail by Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat.
Abuse of legal process
Amnesty also stated that the arrest was a clear abuse of power that disregarded the rights of the public to hold peaceful assemblies and their right not to be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
“Furthermore, the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials spells out in Article 5 that no law enforcement official may inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment or invoke superior orders or exceptional circumstances, such as a threat to national security, to justify these actions,” they said.
Amnesty also expressed concern over the continuous act of obtaining blanket unilateral restraining orders against the general public as a means to crack down against public assemblies.
“Amnesty is of the view that the act of obtaining such restraining orders is a serious abuse of the legal process.
“This is because such applications are made and granted based solely on one party's prejudice that undermines the subjected parties' right to be heard in an open court,” said Shan.
Last Saturday, Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman obtained a restraining order from the court banning five representatives of Protes - Hatta, Chua, S Arutchelvan, Simon Ooi and Ronnie Liew from gathering near KLCC.
Amnesty also demanded the government to fully respect the fundamental rights of all people and implement the recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Police to amend Section 27 of the Police Act which states the need to have a police permit to organise gatherings.
“More demonstrations are likely in the lead up to elections expected early this year, Amnesty International Malaysia demands that the Government of Malaysia fully respect the fundamental rights of all people,” added Shan.
The human rights NGO viewed his arrest during the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) rally last Saturday as a serious failure to respect and recognize the professional function of a journalist in his or her cause of duty.
Malaysiakini journalist Syed Jaymal Zahiid who was reporting at the anti-toll hike protest at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) was arrested for obstructing a police officer from performing his duties.“We view that the charge against (Syed Jaymal) as another act of intimidation to undermine media freedom and the rights and freedoms of journalists to report without intimidation and threats of arbitrary arrest, detention and selective prosecution,” said AI campaigns coordinator K Shan in a statement today.
Also arrested were dozens of other protesters.
Despite the release of several Protes leaders including PKR information chief Tian Chua and PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli - after the police’ remand applications against them were denied by the magistrate, the journalist was charged with 35 others yesterday.
All of them claimed trial and have been released on RM1,000 bail by Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat.
Abuse of legal process
Amnesty also stated that the arrest was a clear abuse of power that disregarded the rights of the public to hold peaceful assemblies and their right not to be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
“Furthermore, the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials spells out in Article 5 that no law enforcement official may inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment or invoke superior orders or exceptional circumstances, such as a threat to national security, to justify these actions,” they said.Amnesty also expressed concern over the continuous act of obtaining blanket unilateral restraining orders against the general public as a means to crack down against public assemblies.
“Amnesty is of the view that the act of obtaining such restraining orders is a serious abuse of the legal process.
“This is because such applications are made and granted based solely on one party's prejudice that undermines the subjected parties' right to be heard in an open court,” said Shan.
Last Saturday, Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman obtained a restraining order from the court banning five representatives of Protes - Hatta, Chua, S Arutchelvan, Simon Ooi and Ronnie Liew from gathering near KLCC.
Amnesty also demanded the government to fully respect the fundamental rights of all people and implement the recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Police to amend Section 27 of the Police Act which states the need to have a police permit to organise gatherings.
“More demonstrations are likely in the lead up to elections expected early this year, Amnesty International Malaysia demands that the Government of Malaysia fully respect the fundamental rights of all people,” added Shan.
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